Followers

Blog Archive

About Me

Monday, April 12, 2010

Cathy Parker update

Greetings friends and family! As many of you already know, Cathy suffered a severe and debilitating cardiac arrest while hospitalized in West Palm Beach, Florida.

This Blog will serve to update you on her progress, provide a bit of history and be a connection point to her family and friends.

Feel free to post comments and messages to the blog.

In the coming days and weeks of her recovery, Cathy's mother, Cherry will be updating the blog. Feel free to post pics and video of you and Cathy. One of the effects of her condition is that it seems to have left her with little or no memory. Perhaps seeing your images will be that one spark that brings part, if not all of it all back!

20 comments:

My Bloved Best Friend of 23 years. I am truly sticken with greif. Never in a million years would I have thought this was going to happen. My heart bleeds for you and your family. I know your strong my love thats why your still here honey. There will be many prayers going your way from the boys and I. I will be down soon and maybe we can chat about 23 years of beautiful memories that you and I shared. I love you. See you soon sweetie. Love Tiffany

Cherry here - 7:30 pm...I spent about 3 hours with Cathy today and was a bit disheartened because she didn't recognize me or her kids' picture. Although she slept most of the time, she did breathe comfortably on her own, 2 days after the respirator was removed. It's a good sign, physically. When my husband Mike arrived, she smiled and attempted to wave at him. 10:15 pm... Her nurse just called informing me that she had been more active, even trying to remove her gown. When a nurse put it back on, explaining it wasn't nice to expose yourself, she frowned at her. She also lifted her hand to wave when told I was on the phone. And when asked who Gavin and Kaylee were (her children), she pointed to each picture accurately. Wonderful, wonderful news!Tomorrow, they will do a contrast MRI of her brain to find out the extent of injuries so we can estimate her needs, if any, when she is released.

Cherry here - Apr 13, 6:30pm...Well, Cathy is in there, getting the MRI. It's been 11 days since her cardiac arrest and by now they wanted to see better and consistent responses to stimuli, which she hasn't shown. The neurologist is very concerned (almost fearful) about her symptoms, and his inability to give us answers based on them. He prepared me for the possibility of upper brain stem damage, which the MRI would hopefully rule out. She also had some sinus infection that could have compromised the brain. But there is the risk factor of getting the contrast MRI itself - that her frail condition may not be able to tolerate it, so dialysis is on standby to immediately remove as much of the dye as possible. He also made me understand that, after all they've done and are still doing, she still may not make it through. I will do a follow up post later tonight, when MRI is done. In the meantime thank you for checking in and please keep praying.

Apr 13 9pm...MRI done, but it took a while because she got agitated and they had to wait for a doctor to sedate her. Right now, they're trying their best to clear her out with the dialysis. she's resting... Now we wait...And keep praying

Apr 14 10:30pm... Spent a few hours with Cathy today. She's a little lethargic - sleepy really- from last night's sedative and today's muscle relaxant to help ease the "posturing." But when she was awake, we communicated and she answered with head nods and shakes. She even appeared to laugh when I said her hair is all tangled up like a bird's nest. She was able to move her head from side to side as I brushed her hair, and seemed enthused by my reminder that her brother Eddie is getting married in 3 weeks and we're going to Puerto Rico right after that. Her eyes actually lit up!

Didn't get to see the neurologist, but her nurse thinks the MRI didn't show any major damage (yay!), although there were signs of past cronic ischemic activity. Eventually, I will get the exact meaning of that. Again, although it is very uplifting, I am cautious with this info as it is an unofficial one from the nurse and not the neuro, but, hey! Between my nice visit with her and the nurse's opinion, Cathy had a good day! And her hair is now up in a single pony tail on top of her head...ala Pebbles Flinstone...cute!

Apr 15....Cathy has been really lethargic today, almost no response to attempts at waking her. I was there for over 4 hours and never saw her awake. Could possibly, hopefully, be just from muscle relaxants. She occasionally struggled with her breathing and re-inserting the respirator has become an option once again. The meds have been discontinued and she will be under close observation before they make the call on the tube.MRI and MRA definitely did not show any abnormality - great news, but it also means docs have to keep searching for a diagnosis and, eventually, maybe treatment and prognosis, because they still don't have an explanation for her condition. Tomorrow, lumbar puncture.Thanks everyone, for all the prayers!

Apr 20...I apologize for not posting an update for several days....I did a really comprehensive one yesterday, but lost it when I couldn't upload properly....arrrgh!!!Cathy still sleeps most of the time, and still doesn't comprehend her surroundings when she is awake. She does focus her eyes better, and seems to be fascinated by the TV, especially when there are images of animals. An animal cruelty charity came on once, and she looked genuinely moved and upset by it. And tonight, she laughed when her nurse, who was about 10 feet away, sneezed half a dozen times. She actually lifted her head to watch her!

Yet I am afraid to get too excited, because it is a "one day at a time" thing with her. Her vital signs have gotten better, and the breathing tube didn't have to be reinserted. Spinal fluid was clear...good and bad...no infections other than her sinuses, no brain damage... nothing... meaning it didn't give any clue that could lead to a diagnosis. No diagnosis, no treatment or prognosis, other than she has anoxia, or Anoxic brain injury. We don't know how long she will be like this, or if she will get better.... or worse.

Sunday night... We just finished having her daughter Kaylee's bday party that afternoon. Her blood pressure was up a bit. She had also started retaining fluids because her kidneys were not functioning properly. Not wanting to wait forever in the emergency room, she called paramedics and walked over to the ambulance when it came!.The ER doc told her she would have to consider getting on the kidney transplant waitlist. At the minimum, he thought she needed dialysis to get rid of the fluids.Monday...Tuesday...no dialysis, just Lasix, a diuretic. Still retaining fluids...

Wednesday, still no dialysis. I spoke with her kidney doc and was told her numbers didn't indicate the need. In the meantime, she started looking like the marshmallow man - so bloated!

Thursday...she was so bloated up that her arm felt like a piece of wood and she looked 6 months pregnant. They finally scheduled dialysis for the next day. Then at about 9:30 pm I got a call from her nurse saying she was going through some serious anxiety and insisted on speaking to me. When on the phone, she said, "Mom, something's wrong, something's really wrong...." and kept fading out. I told the nurse to check her sugar because she sounded like it was bottoming out. 15 minutes later he called and said that's what it was, and that it had been corrected. I spoke to her and she was much better and, convinced she was out of danger, said goodnight.

That was Thursday, Apr 1st, at 10:30 pm....the last time I spoke with Cathy.I got the call at 7:00 the next morning that she had cardiac arrest at 5:30am and was unresponsive in the ICU. Her heart stopped and had to be shocked back. Her mouth had clamped shut and inserting the oxygen tube was difficult, even necessitating removal of some front teeth, and injuring her throat(today, she still cannot speak or make a sound).

I will not go into detail about my first sight of her in the ICU, only that it was a devastatingly, helplessly heartbreaking moment!

In retrospect, these two weeks have brought (and sometimes taken away) hope. She awoke from her coma, her heart and lungs have been holding their own, no breathing tube, she opens and closes her eyes and obeys commands more than half the time.

Two movies come to mind --50 First Dates, which I've seen, and Memento, recently suggested by a friend.

I think I will get it this week.

Thank you all for patiently reading, and faithfully helping us pray for Cathy's full recovery.

Thank you also for those who come by, send cards, email and messages, hugs and kind words. And those who have done special favors like checking in on Cathy while I'm at work and unable to...and those who unconditionally, without expectations of return, help us shield her children and surround them with normalcy.Mike, you continue to be my rock and leaning post - thank you. And dear Angelina - who quietly and with tender love, gives the kids so much more than I have been able to lately - thank you sweet princess!Many are still left unmentioned, but you all know how grateful my family and I are, every single day. Please know that!

It's after 1 am - typos are forgivable!

I think I will get it this week.

Thank you all for patiently reading, and faithfully helping us pray for Cathy's full recovery.

Thank you also for those who come by, send cards, email and messages, hugs and kind words. And those who have done special favors like checking in on Cathy while I'm at work and unable to...and those who unconditionally, without expectations of return, help us shield her children and surround them with normalcy.Mike, you continue to be my rock and leaning post - thank you. And dear Angelina - who quietly and with tender love, gives the kids so much more than I have been able to lately - thank you sweet princess!Many are still left unmentioned, but you all know how grateful my family and I are, every single day. Please know that!

If you haven't figured it our by now, the previous posting was actually a day-by-day account from Sunday, Mar 28th to Friday Apr 2nd. I thought it may give a better understanding of the situation. It was quite late, so again, I apologize for not making it more coherent....Cherry

Hi Ate Cherry,I cried reading your post specially your last post, i can feel your pain, i am a mother too and i know how it feels to witness your daughter suffering... what can i say to you?... just keep the faith... and whatever happens it is for sure God's will... everything has written in His own hands.. everything that happens to us has purpose and whatever it is i am sure it will make us a better persona and stronger. I wish i am with your family right now...but i am far, all i can do is offer a prayer to ate Cathy and your family specially the children Kyle and Gavin, its very hard for them i know..they are too young and innocent...

Apr 22.... Hi everyone! WONDERFUL NEWS!!! There has been some major progress during the last 36 hours! PRAISE GOD!!!! It is still cautious celebration, as she's been on a roller coaster ride, but Cathy has definitely been awake more and is showing recognition and some memory - she even sang along when I put the mp3 headphones on her! She recognized me and the people in the pictures around her and answered correctly many questions about her life(kids' names, grandma arriving soon, brother getting married, etc).And...and...and! She had real food for dinner tonight! Small tidbits of chicken, some rice, and fruit. Her posturing hasn't gone away, so she has to remain on muscle relaxants, which make her drowsy, and then she sleeps for extended periods. There's still quite a few moments of confusion and incoherent babble, but the connections are happening! One step at a time, and she has taken big ones these last few hours.Thank you all for caring, and again, for all the prayers.

Apr 24... Cathy had another good but sleepy day yesterday. She continues to "wake up" more and remember things. We tried to sign on to her facebook so she can post a message, but password hasn't come back yet. Those of you on fb, she will be reading posts later today, so go ahead and leave something on her wall.And please keep praying for her full recovery, and give thanks for her progress so far.

Cathy has had good progress this week. They finally moved her out of ICU into a regular room> Yay!!! Still monitoring her heart for congestion, but mostly clear. She has been eating regular food, just mushed up because she doesn't have full hand functions...fingers a little confused yet. Of quite some concern still is her confusion and occasional dementia - something the neurologist says will hopefully correct itself in time...how much time? Time is something she has no concept of right now. She thinks it's either 2004 or 2005.Many of the people and events of her life have been buried somewhere, and she really is trying to remember.Tomorrow, I will bring a sheet of questions about her life that she will have to answer as a brain exercise. Those brain cells need to reconnect and start firing up again!